


Down Among the Dead

by tighthae



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fantasy, M/M, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-29 17:31:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12089907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tighthae/pseuds/tighthae
Summary: Success is a mountain. You try to climb it or die trying.





	Down Among the Dead

**Author's Note:**

> i found this deep in my documents so i decided to look over it and it was okay i thought i would just post it idk if im gonna continue it but whatever i was thinking the premise was pretty cool i didnt proofread this (this document was called crackhead mode activated btw) this is more of a prologue than anything

Seven long years. He wasn't keeping count, but that's how stayed at the university. Taeil endured everything each course offered. Whether it was reanimating the dead to a state of life that was more manufactured than organic or reaping the souls of innocent graduates who had yet to pay their debt. Taeil did it. And for what? Getting left in the dust. Having to start his adulthood as a flunky to a corporation which dealt with the interdimensional affairs of whatever plane of reality said affair broken. I guess wasn’t that terrible. It was.

Taeil found a rundown studio apartment four blocks from his workplace. He could hardly afford the rent for this place even though the mold in the corners of the ceiling were most likely becoming sentient. The cheap, ugly, floral wallpaper the landlord ordered installation for was peeling in lengthy lines, curling up at the end. The man knew most pieces of property in the city were bound to be pricey, but he didn’t expect a shack to be the same price as three bedrooms, two bathrooms, suburban houses.

He thought he'd escape that prison the instructors called a ¨temporary home ¨ after graduation. Unfortunately, here he was. Taeil had moved into a place that had reminded him of his old "home". The stale air hanging in the atmosphere brought back the summer nights he spent locked up in his dorm, scribing runes frantically on a piece of parchment lying among the thousands of stationary scattered across the chamber once he had figured out a combination that could bring something through the gate.

Staring up at the ceiling, Taeil closed his eyes and began to reminisce about where this all started. The specks of dirts that loitered the ceiling resembled the stars Taeil gazed at through the tall blades of grass. Then it hit him. Literally. It hit him right in the forehead, leaving a third eye on his face. It was a star, a fallen star. Clutching it the palms of it hands, Taeil felt every ounce of power it had inside it etch into his skin. He felt a network of different worlds, different realities, different universes flash before his eyes. Each small spark was linked to another creating a vast system of interconnected gates that would bring unfathomable creatures from one side of the omniverse into his. Taeil learned later that these chunks of fallen stars were known as Gates. 

Taeil spent the rest of his youth studying these things called “Gates”. Apparently, there were several hundred companies that handled interdimensional problems. These companies also paid top dollar for anyone willing to handle said problems. Taeil already had the power to activate gates, he didn’t have any other ambitions either. It almost seemed like fate. Maybe it was, if different dimensions could exist so could fate. So, he acted upon fate and attended university. 

Interdimensional affairs were not things that were new but they were not very old either. The studies of said affairs were in that stage where, yes, it did exist but people with regular lives didn’t have access to it. Think of how the people who couldn’t afford cars felt when they saw someone rich wobble down the street in a rickety contraption. People were amazed by its exist but they knew they could most likely never have such an amazing piece of technology. Taeil used to be one of those people, even after he obtained the power to open gates at such a young age.

When Taeil applied to the only university who offered their a major in “Gatewatching” he was immediately accepted. Unsurprisingly so. He was very studious, like most students are, at first. Then it got too boring for him. All the training he received was solely based on theses by experts on the field, no hands on training. So, like any other bored college attendee, he began to rebel a bit. His uncle had taught him a thing or two about open gates. “Everyone comes from a star,” Taeil’s uncle would say. “The materials that make us come from them. They don’t only make humans either. Many beings beyond our comprehension are made from the stars. Which is why we are able to contact them through the shards that fall through our Earth. There’s much more to it that that of course, but I don’t want overwhelm you with all the information about the scary universe. Or should I say universes?”. Taeil would thought about that conversation when he first opened a gate. 

The process of opening a gate was very strange to Taeil for lack of better words. He would clutch the precious piece of star he obtained as a young boy and the vast network of dots connecting to one and other would appear. His professors always told him you can’t pinpoint a specific gate, their studies hadn’t reached that far yet, so Taeil didn’t have a specific idea of what part of the multiverse he wanted to smash open. Taeil let his mind takeover. And just like that, a gate appeared in front of him. The web that Taeil viewed each gate on made them seen so indistinct but when zoomed in appeared like a Rune. The professors at the university had said it would be quite hard to decipher what markings one of the Runes would need for it to unlock itself due to quantum energy and chaos flux and other terms that sounded like they were made up on the spot. But where the instructors saw madness and disorder, Taeil saw a pattern. Some people would think, which included Taeil himself, that figuring out a combination to a door that would allow something from another reality to come through would require more than just “ignoring” the science around it. But apparently “Gatewatchers” had that ability.

Once Taeil figured out what each missing etching in the Rune was and placed it accordingly, he brought forth a very small demon. It was a tiny creature. Its mannerism and physical traits were akin to that of a goblin. Then it dawned on Taeil that he had no way to communicate with the creature. The tiny thing jumped and stomped, tearing up patches of grass and tasting clumps of dirt from the weeds it had managed to pull up. It was actually quite fascinating to Taeil. Watching a creature dance around and play in a new environment was entertaining and educational at the same time. After a while, the thing began to fade. To Taeil’s disappointment, it left behind nothing to prove its existence. That was Taeil’s very first contact and certainly not his last. 

Taeil began his studies at the age of 18 and was no graduating at the age of 25. In that time frame the knowledge of contacting other dimensions increased by a tenfold. Earth now had several peace treaties with different worlds from within their reality and out of their reality. The government gave huge grants to any companies willing to partake in such an oddity and the contract other species gave earth were beyond hefty in their payout. Competition in “Gatewatching” became fierce. No one needed a power to deal with intergalactic and multidimensional affairs, you just needed someone who was capable of opening a gate for you. Gatewatcher jobs were in high demand which is why Taeil was able to score a job right out of college. But just because a job is in high demand doesn’t mean it pays all that well. Opening a gate is one part of the job, if that’s all you do then good luck trying to make a living. Even if you do go beyond opening gates and participate in affairs, no one ever starts out with well paying contracts. It was hard field to succeed in but the pay for bigger contracts was humongous. Which is why Taeil is here today, in a cubicle. 

To add on to the many obstacles you have to overcome to be a successful Gatewatcher, you can’t even take one of the smaller contracts as soon as you join a firm. Your first jobs would be responding to email sent from some far away land or answering phone calls from said far away places. It was slightly boring, but it paid. 

“Hyung,” Mark looked like he was going to fall over with the amount of paperwork he was carrying. “There’s a company party tonight and there’s going to be drinks, wanna tag along?”

Taeil got up and took some of the weight off of Mark’s shoulders and placed it on his desk. “Don’t call me Hyung, it’s not like we’re in Korea anymore. And aren’t you still too young to be drinking?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who hasn’t drank when they still weren’t legally able to. Except you, Hyung.” Mark commented when Taeil made a face.

“What are all these for anyway?” Taeil slapped the pile of documents and folders.

“Reports that need to be filed. So, are you up for the drinks, Hyung? Chanmi will probably get some sod to pay for our drinks. I know how frugal you are. It’ll be a fun time.” Mark added a chime to his last words.

Taeil clicked his tongue. “They’re making the unpaid interns do all the dirty work, of course they would. It’s probably worth it though, isn’t it? I wish I would have done some internships when I was in college. Maybe I would’ve been doing some small contracts by now at least.”

“Please stop avoiding the question, Hyung,” Mark whined. “You never relax and you’re always isolating yourself. I think it’s about time you go out and have some fun. Just for one night, please?”

“I guess,” Taeil sighed. “But don’t expect me to stay there for more than two hours.”

“I heard Tiffany was going to be there. As well as other seniors. This could be a good chance for you to build your network.” Mark informed, excitedly.

“What time are you guys going to be there?” Taeil was considering staying more than two hours now.

Taeil was still living out of boxes. There was really no point in unpacking anyway, he was hardly home and he planned to move out the dump as soon as he could afford an overpriced two bedroom apparent. Digging through his fridge, Taeil tried to find something edible so that he wouldn’t be complete wasted after a couple of shots of Tequila. Surprisingly, the doorbell rang.  
Upon opening the door, Taeil was greeted with a surprise. An unpleasant one at that. 

Lee Taeyong. Taeil hadn’t seen the man since he had graduated; mind you Taeyong had graduated two years earlier than Taeil and had also started a year later. Taeyong looked just like how Taeil remembered him. Piercing eyes, intimidating eyebrows, and face that was sculpted out of marble. Everyone knew the guy. He was sort of genius. A Gatewatcher too. Also from a family with a very well known history within the city. He was prodigy and everyone had high expectations of him. Which he met. He had started university at 19, when Taeil was 21, and graduated at 21. Now he was taking big contracts at one of the biggest firms in the business. 

“How’d you find my address?’ Was the first question Taeil asked.

“Hey, Moon. It’s been awhile hasn’t it?” Taeyong asked, avoiding the question. “I just thought I’d drop by and visit my upperclassmen after all these years. This city is a shitty place and I get a little lonely sometimes. Let’s have dinner.”

Taeil wasn’t really shocked with Taeil’s manner of speaking. The boy was always straightforward and clear cut with his responses. “Are you paying?”

“Can you pay?” Taeyong shot back.

Forgetting about the plans he had made earlier in favor of eating some decent food for once, Taeil complied. “Against my better judgement, I guess.”

The dinner was much more expensive than Taeil had pictured it to be. There was wine dating all the way back to the 1800s, the steak was one of the most high quality meat products he ever tasted, and to top it all off they had a valet outside. Taeil was enjoying himself, eating dinner, no conversation, and avoiding any possible eye contact that could be made in the process. 

“Why’d you choose to become a Gatewatcher?” Taeyong asked, breaking the long period of silence. 

“Do I really need a reason?” Taeil asked. “It just seemed like the right thing to do. I can open gates after all. If I really have to give you an answer I guess it’s to seek a challenge. Handling demons from realities outside of this one would probably be one.”

“That’s the answer I was afraid,” Taeyong sighed. “If you’re doing this just because you feel like you need to then you’ll just end up following every command that you’re given. You won’t get anywhere.”

“So, you’re saying that if I woke hard enough I’ll most likely end up having good performance in my field? I hate to break it to you but that doesn’t seem all that bad to me.” Taeil was asking the waiter to bring them another bottle of wine. 

 

“If you keep with that attitude, you’ll just be headed down a one way street. That’s what I’m most afraid of.’ Taeyong responded.

“Would anyone of the answers that I might have given satisfy you?” Taeil questioned.

“I don’t know, probably note,” Taeil poured himself another glass of wine. “I’ve always been fascinated on how other people solve the problems they’re given. It’s a power trips. It’s like playing God and watching everything below you run about. When you come around to a more ambitious way of looking at things, there’s a job position for you at NCT & Co. With a contract if I may add.”

Taeil was shocked, he doesn’t get shocked often anymore. “So, you steal my address, take me out to dinner, partially insult me, then offer me some kind of job at your firm?”

“More or less, yes,” Taeyong nodded. “I’ll give you time to think about it.” 

After dinner, Taeyong called a taxi for the two. Coincidentally, Taeyong was headed to the same expensive, five-star, hotel that the company party was being hosted at. Stepping out of the car, Taeil viewed the fountains spurting giant spouts of water in front of the hotel. It must’ve been very expensive to rent out. 

“Well, that was an excellent dinner, Taeil. Or should I call you Hyung?” Taeil wasn’t sure if the boy was teasing or not. 

“You don’t have to call me Hyung. I never liked formalities anyway.” Taeil responded. 

Making his way inside of the hotel, Taeil’s first instinct was to apologize to Mark for not making it on time. Mark was too drunk to care that Taeil had basically ditched him. The second item on the agenda was to network a bit. There were plenty of big seniors at the party. He talked with a few but they only seemed to be interested in people who were just as big or as important as them. Overall, the party was kind of a bust. At least he got a free few drinks and a free five-star meal out of it. 

The very next day, Taeil was asked to open a gate for some people going to another dimension. Amongst the chaos of the dark matter flowing around every portal to the other side of a reality, everything seemed fairly normal. Until it wasn’t. Upon closer inspection, Taeil found something very peculiar about this gate in particular. It was chipped. A chipped gate was serious. It meant any monstrous creature or demon could slip through the cracks of reality and roam around their world unbound by the laws of physics and the laws that govern the people on Earth. This all may seem like something dire, but it was something much more to Taeil. This was it. This was his very first contract.

**Author's Note:**

> if ppl find this story interesting ill outline it and attempt to continue it taeyong is ooc so idk how i feel about that i mustve been really sleep deprived to think of something like this tbh


End file.
